Worries over Castle Stuart venue for Open?
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THE Barclay’s Scottish Open came to Castle Stuart for the first time in 2011, just two years after the new course was opened for play, and it captured the heart of the Highlands and its golfers.
The tournament generated more than £6 million for Scotland’s economy and had its first winner in Englishman Luke Donald, who at the time was number one in the world.
Despite the storms that hit the tournament in 2011 and washed away part of the course, the Castle Stuart tournament was deemed an overwhelming success by players and spectators.
Donald was joined by six more of the world’s top ranking golfers – Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose – in the first year, all deciding it would be the perfect preparation for the following week’s Open championship.
Banking worries forced Barclays to withdraw from sponsorship in 2012 but thankfully, in stepped Aberdeen Asset Management and the Scottish Government, and the Scottish Open returned to Castle Stuart in 2012 and 2013.
Indian Jeev Milkha Singh won in 2012 and Phil Mickelson in 2013, going on to become the first golfer to follow up with an Open win.
He said in his pre-tournament interview: “I love coming back here. I’ve loved the course even before I played well in 2013. Two years ago I saw how great a golf course it was – a wonderful design and how much fun it was to play. Aberdeen Asset Management and the government continued to back the event on its move to the sponsor’s home base, Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in 2014, and then Gullane in East Lothian last year.
But I wonder how both parties will view a return to the Highlands after next year’s event at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, after a significant drop in attendance last week.
Castle Stuart general manager Stuart McColl says it’s important not to dwell on the week’s attendance figures, despite a nose dive of more than 20,000 going through the gates.
The total was 41,809 – a sharp decline on the 2012 and 2013 events, which attracted 63,363 and 65,528 respectively. Royal Aberdeen in 2014 and Gullane last year got 65,883 and 63,030, while last week’s attendance at Castle Stuart was less than half of the 85,921 who were at Loch Lomond in 2009.
The weather was blamed in part. The forecast was miserable and that was how it turned out.
But there were glowing comments from two of the biggest stars – Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell – in what many considered a less attractive field than in past years. Then there were the other attractions over the weekend – Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix, the UEFA European Championships and not forgetting the Inverness Four-Day Open, which did not finish until Friday despite the appearance of local stars Russell Knox from Inverness and Golspie and Dornoch’s Jimmy Gunn.
Each of these first-time participants was given honorary membership of Inverness and Golspie on the eve of the tournament. In his first Scottish Open media interview, Jimmy Gunn told how he felt he was ready for Castle Stuart and his first big event back in Scotland after taking the decision that if his golf was to flourish he had to play in America.
Asked if he felt he was capable of getting to the higher reaches of the game and playing regularly alongside Russell Knox, he replied: “I did pretty well in the US Open last year and played with some great players.
“Being amongst these guys gave me good confidence coming down the end of the year when I got my Web.Com Tour card back. We have seven tournaments left on that tour so I need a good finish to the end of the season on that tour just to keep my card.”
Unfortunately, after a troublesome first round card of 77 (five over par) followed by an improved second round 73, Jimmy missed the 36 hole cut which fell at plus three. With a quality final round of a five under par 67, Knox finished in a share of 10th place as he headed for this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
